Adjustable support for beds.



W. J. CURTIS. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26,1913.

1,092,698, Patentd Apr. '7, 19m

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGXZAPH COHWASHINGTON D. c.

W. J. CURTIS. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS. APPLICATION FILED D30. 26,1918.

1,092,698. Pa ented Apr. 7, 191 i 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Z

WITNESSES: I/Vl/E/VTO/i COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. J. CURTIS. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 26', I913.

Patented Apr. 7, 19m

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

V MM? reins.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdjustable Supports for Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to improvements in bedsteads and particularlyto that type known more generally as invalid bedsteads in whichadjustable rising sections are employed. 7

The primary object in view in my present device is to provide aspecially formed bedstead which in actual use is designedto be entirelyhidden by the bedclothes, and embodying a quickly detachable springhaving the rising sections hereinbefore mentioned connected therewith,said spring being susceptible of attachment to the ordinary bedstead ofthis class without any alteration in its essential construction in orderto procure the advantages of an adjustable element of this nature toeliminate the necessity of removing the spring from the bedstead incleansing, as is required in most devices now in use.

Wore specifically speaking, it is comprehended by my invention toprovide a bedstead with a spring embodying a central frame sectionadapted to be attached to the side rails and having connected thereto atopposite ends adjustable sections or sup ports, novel locking mechanismby means of which the supports are held at various inclinations beingemployed and comprising actuating levers connected at one end to lockinglevers carried by the supports and which levers are adapted to bedepressed by the actuating levers to permit free movement of thecooperating support.

lVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts all ashereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bedstead embodying my invention; Fig.2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view taken about on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and showing moreclearly the locking mechanism in side elevation; Fig. 4 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional view taken on the line H of Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 26, 1913.

Patented Apr. "2, 1914.

Serial No. 808,870.

1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a corner .member for the centralframe section; Fig.

6 is a side elevation of an ordinary bed construction with my improvedspring attached thereto; and F 7 is a view of the spring in collapsed orfolded position.

Throughout the following detail descrip tion, and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

Specifically describing my invention and referring to the drawings, thebedstead embodying the same comprises the side rails 1 having connectedto their extremities the outwardly curving legs 2, the construction ofsaid members being preferably angle iron,

such as is commonly used in articles of this nature. The object offorming the legs 2 as just mentioned will be brought out more clearly inthis description hereinafter. Said legs 2 are connected adjacent theirlower portions with cross bars 2 while similar longitudinal bars 3extending beneath in parallel spaced relation to the side rails, connectthe legs for strengthening the structure. Upon this frame or bedstead isdis posed the essential feature of the invention consisting of theintermediate stationary spring section 4 and the adjustable head andfoot rising sections 5, 5, and both of the last mentioned sections beingidentical in form the construction of one only will be described. Theadjustable section or support 5 comprises a substantially U-shaped framehaving the side members 6 which are connected by resilient or springwires 7 lymg approxlmately 1n the same horizontal. plane as the uppersurface of the stationary spring member at. Each of the side members 6of the support 1S suitably formed with a depending arm 8. The support,furthermore, is pivotally mounted upon the upper portion of a bracemember 9, as shown most clearly in Fig. a of the drawings, there being abrace member for each side of the support which is connected to acentral frame construction now to be described.

The central frame which constitutes the support for each of the risingsections 5, 5, is rectangular in form and comprises the four cornermembers or brackets 10, shown in detail in Fig. 5, each having anoffstanding lip or flange 11 through which extends a fastening member11, the two of said brackets on the corresponding sides of the bedsteadbeing connected by longitudinally extending angle bars 11 which aredisposed directly beneath the side rails l, which side rails 1 areclamped between the bars 11 and the flanges 11 by the fastening members11 above referred to. The lower portion of each two of these cornerbrackets at opposite sides of the bedstead are connected by thetransverse bars 8 fastened to an inwardly extending lug formed on eachof said brackets and as seen in Fig. 1 a brace member 9 is secured atone end to the transverse bar 3 and its other end on which a side memberof the support 5 is pivoted, passes through the adjacent bracket nearits topmost portion, being securely fastened in this position. It willthus be seen'that a most rigid subor intermediate frame is formed, tothe opposite ends of which are pivotally connected the adjustable risingsections hereinbefore described, and upon the frame is removablydisposed the intermediate spring member 4 referred to, a plurality ofstraps or bars 3 being preferably provided and connecting thelongitudinal bars 3 to efiectually support said spring member,

It is to be noted that each of the brackets .10. is formed with atoothed sector 10 directly adjacent the depending arms 8 of the risingsections, in the lower bifurcated terminal of each of which is plvotallysecured a locking lever 12 which is curved in forma- I tion and at itsfree extremity terminates in a slotted enlarged portion 13. The sidemembers 6 of the support 5 are also formed with depending lugs 14 and toeach of the same is pivotally connected intermediate its ends a curvedactuating lever 15, the inner extremity of which is provided with alaterally projecting pin or projection 16, extending into the slot ofits cooperating locking lever 12, thereby providing a pin and slotconnection between each actuating lever 15 and locking lever 12.Extending laterally from each of the locking levers 12 is a lug orprojection 17 which is adapted to engage with the teeth of the adjacentsector 10 and thereby lock the support against downward movement. Eachlocking lever 12 is normally held in locked or engaging position withrespect to its cooperating sector 10 by means of a spring 18 one end ofwhich is connected to the adjacent side member 6 near its pivot and theother end to the locking lever approximately midway of its length.

To the outer end of each of the actuating levers 15 is secured aflexible connection 19 and to the end portion of the U-shaped sup port 5and at each side of the same is pivotally secured a lever 20 one end ofwhich is connected with the adjacent flexible connection 19. 'It will beseen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that the levers 20, pivotedintermediate their lengths have their contiguous extremities disposed insuperposed relation so as to cooperate with a grooved cam member 21adapted to be rotated by means of a handle 22 and in the actual use ofmy invention it is only necessary for the operator to grasp the'support5 turning the handle 22 so as to actuate the levers 20 through theinstrumentality of the cam 21, and thereby cause the actuating levers 5to depress the locking levers 12, disengaging the projections 17 fromtheir 00- operating toothed sector. When the proper adjustment has beenreached thehandle 22 is rotated to its initial position and the springs18 will then pull their cooperating locking levers upwardly intoengagement with the toothed sectors 10". Itwill be noted in Figs. 1 and8 that the slots in the extremities of the locking levers are inclineddownwardly and when the actuating levers 15 are pulled upwardly. attheir outer ends,

the pins 16 will slide down the slots to cause preventing any tiltingaction of the bedat f its end portions, due to the placing of weightupon the adjustable supports which are suspended at these end portionsfrom a point intermediate the side rails, as hereinbefore described. Itfurthermore permits of ready access to the ends of the bed for thepurpose of manipulating the handle for operating the actuating levers toadjust said supports.

As shown most clearly in Fig. a, the longitudinally extending bars 3 arearranged contiguous to the lower portion of the corner members 10 andthese bars, one ateach side of the bedstead prevent any oscillation ofthe spring member as will be apparent.

Fig. 6 of the drawings shows the adaptability of the spring of myinvention to the ordinary commercial bedupon. which it may readily beattached without any change of structure. It also illustrates the easewith which the bedstead may be cleaned and kept in sanitary condition byreason of the factthat the supports may be raised upwardly into anyposition from the horizontal, as shown in this figure. Again, as shownin Fig. 7, the supports may be folded upon the central frame section andspring member into a very compact structure enabling the displacement ofthe spring from the bedstead withease and also rendering the struc' turevery compact for shipping or similar purposes. 7 I

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Incombination, a bedstead including ing a central frame having sidemembers cooperating with said siderails and supporting flanges extendedthereover, means for clamping the side rails between the flanges andside members of the frame for detachably securing the spring to thesiderails aforesaid, the bar members of the bedstead being disposed tocooperate with the central frame to prevent oscillation of the latter,adjustable supports connected to said frame, and means for holding saidsupports at adj usted positions extending from the frame.

3. In combination, a bedstead including side rails, a foldable springtherefor com prising a central frame, and adjustable end sectionsconnected to opposite ends of said frame and adapted to be folded insuperposed relation upon said frame.

4. In combination, a bedstead including side rails, a foldable springtherefor comprising a rectangular frame composed of corner members,longitudinally connecting bars connected to the upper portions of thecorner members, transverse bars connecting the lower portions of thecorner members, adjustable end sections adapted to fold upon the frame,and an intermediate spring mem ber adapted to be disposed within theframeand1 supported by the transverse bars aforesa1 5. In combination, abedstead including side rails, a foldable spring therefor comprising arectangular frame composed of corner members, said corner members beingformed with sectors and oifstanding flanges adapted to be disposed onthe side rails, upper longitudinal connecting bars adapted to cooperatewith the side rails beneath the same, transverse bars connecting thelower portions of the corner members, adjustable end sections adapted tofold upon the frame, and an intermediate spring section adapted to bedisposed within the frame and to receive the adjustable end sectionswhen in folded position.

6. In combination, a bedstead comprising side rails, an adjustablesupport having depending arms, locking mechanism therefor comprisingtoothed sectors detachably con nected to the side rails with which saidsupport is pivo-tally connected, locking levers connected at one end tothe arms aforesaid and engaging the toothed sectors to hold the supportat predetermined adjustments, actuating levers suspended from thesupport and having pin and slot connections at one end with thecooperating locking levers, and manipulating means for operating theactzjiating levers connected to their opposite en s.

7. In combination, a bedstead comprising side rails, an adjustablesupport having depending arms, locking mechanism for holding saidsupport at predetermined adjust-- ments and comprising toothed sectorssecured to the side rails adjacent to the depending arms aforesaid,curved locking levers connected at one end to the arms and terminatingin slotted extremities at their other ends, means normally holding saidlevers in engagement with the toothed sectors, actuating leverssuspended from the support and having lateral projections extending intothe slotted extremities of the locking levers, and means for operatingsaid actuating levers to cause movement of the projections in saidslotted extremities and thereby depress the locking levers whereby todisengage the same from the sectors.

8. In combination, a bedstead comprising side rails, an adjustablesupport having depending arms, locking mechanism for holding saidsupport at predetermined adjustments and comprising toothed sectorsdetachably secured to the side rails adjacent the depending arms of saidsupport, curved locking levers pivotally connected at one end to thedepending arms and having downwardly inclined slots formed in theirother extremities, said locking levers having proj ections extendinglaterally therefrom adapted to engage with the toothed sectors forlocking the support in adjusted positions, the support aforesaid havingdepending lugs, curved actuating levers pivotally mounted intermediatetheir ends on the lugs, said actuating levers having projections extending laterally therefrom into the in clined slot of its cooperatinglocking lever, manipulating means connected to the other ends of theactuating levers for operating the locking levers aforesaid, and springsconnected with the support and the locking levers normally holding theprojections formed thereon in engagement with the cooperating toothedsector.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. CURTIS.

Witnesses:

H. A. CANNON, J. H. ALLEMEN,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

